I am writing to say how grateful I am to the many volunteers who gave their time and talent this summer to make renovations at All Saints Catholic School in Davenport.
The tasks were monumental: remove walls, build new walls, put up drywall, paint, put up wood trim, make doorways and do electrical work. It was a collaborative effort by school parents, children, relatives, principal, teachers and staff.
I have heard they had fun in the process and made new friends, too. But on Sunday, Aug. 15, the day before teachers’ in-service meetings began, the two classrooms that had just been completed with fresh paint and new carpet stood empty. A call had gone out asking for help on this day. And volunteers showed up in amazing numbers!
Workers streamed in to move desks, chairs, bookcases, books, computers, dry erase boards and bulletin boards. Adults drilled holes to hang crucifixes, maps and dry erase boards. Recent graduates and middle school students came to move books and furniture. First- and second-graders painstakingly alphabetized leveled readers and organized books in the classroom library. Teachers and their families moved books and arranged desks.
It was a wonderful, remarkable outpouring of support. It was one of the most heartwarming things I have ever witnessed! I have a lot of gratitude. I am one of the teachers that moved into this new classroom space. Thank you so very much!
Eileen O’Brien
Fifth-grade teacher,
All Saints Catholic School, Davenport
